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NEW SIENA POLL HAS GENDEBIEN LEADING CONSTANTINO IN NY-21 - Times Union (Albany, NY) Website

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

NEW SIENA POLL HAS GENDEBIEN LEADING CONSTANTINO IN NY-21

Times Union (Albany, NY)

10/9/26

A new Siena Research Institute poll shows Democrat Blake Gendebien leading his Republican opponent Anthony Constantino in New York’s 21st Congressional District by 4 percentage points, an indication that Democrats may be able to flip a seat long viewed as a GOP stronghold.

The poll was conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6 and sponsored by the Times Union as well as television station WPTZ-NBC5 and radio station WAMC. (Hearst Corp. owns the Times Union and WPTZ.)

The poll of 496 likely voters in the sprawling North Country district found 49% identify as Republicans, 28% as Democrats and 23% as independent or other. About two-thirds of participants were aged 55 and older, and the poll had a margin of error of 4.6%.

When asked who they would vote for if the congressional election were held today, 46% said they would vote for Gendebien compared with 42% for Constantino. Another 5% said they would vote for Christopher Schmidt, an independent running in the race, and the remaining 8% said they didn’t know or refused to answer. It also found 85% of Democrats and 51% of independents said they would vote for Gendebien, compared to just 65% of Republicans and 30% of independents supporting Constantino.

The results indicate a dramatic shift in a district that two years ago gave landslide victories to Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is not seeking reelection to a seventh term, and President Donald J. Trump. A previous poll conducted by SurveyUSA and sponsored by WNYT-TV NewsChannel 13 also showed Gendebien with a slight lead (with Constantino’s campaign threatening to sue the channel over the results) and a recent Cook Political Report shifted the district from “solid” to “likely” Republican.

Personal connections matter

Survey takers who agreed to be interviewed following their submissions highlighted the importance of personal familiarity when choosing which candidate they want to represent the predominantly rural district.

Richard Powell, a 44-year-old independent living in the St. Lawrence County village of Rensselaer Falls, said he supports Gendebien and had attended high school with him at Lisbon Central School.

“I know Blake. He’s a good family man, he’s a smart businessman, he’s educated,” Powell said. “The way (Constantino) carries himself isn’t very professional. I don’t think he would fit well in Washington.”

Dana Drozynski, a 54-year-old independent from the town of Saratoga, said she is backing Constantino. She said she used to live in Amsterdam, where Constantino’s Sticker Mule factory is located, and had come to know Constantino’s parents, Tom and Carol, who ran the printing company Noteworthy at the time.

“I respected them and what they did for the community,” Drozynski said. She said she didn’t like the way Gendebien portrayed himself as a regular farmer when he once served as vice president of Agrimark, a major dairy co-op.

“I’d like Gendebien to pull out his resume,” she added.

The favorable results for Gendebien come despite the poll showing other Republicans doing well in the district. Respondents support Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman over Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul by 15 points, and 50% said they want Republicans to keep control of Congress as opposed to 45% preferring Democrat control. Respondents also continued to express a supportive view of Stefanik, with 49% favorable opposed to 44% unfavorable.

Constantino, the CEO of the company Sticker Mule, has made a name for himself with his strong loyalty toward President Donald J. Trump and a pervasive, polarizing presence on social media. While those factors have helped him garner free publicity and the full endorsement of the president, they also may have contributed to his numbers being lower than other Republicans in the district, the poll suggests.

A Trump backlash?

When asked for their opinion of the candidates, 52% of respondents said they had an unfavorable opinion of Constantino, with only 39% giving a favorable view. By contrast, Gendebien was given a 45% favorable response, with 29% unfavorable and 26% saying they didn’t know or had no opinion of him.

A majority of the respondents in the 21st district also expressed displeasure when it came to Trump — 52% gave an unfavorable opinion while 55% said they disapprove of his job in office. A majority also said they would rather support a candidate who could be a check on Trump’s power rather than someone who would support the president’s agenda.

Richard Belisle, a 65-year-old independent from Queensbury in Warren County, said he plans to vote for Gendebien due to dissatisfaction with the current administration, including what he said is the high cost of living and actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Constantino would be supporting a lot of things the administration’s doing that I don’t like,” Belisle said. “The economy is not doing well and we’re rounding up people who are important to our communities.”

Scott Ferris, a 69-year-old independent from Boonville in Oneida County, concurred. “Constantino pledges to follow Trump’s footsteps,” he said. “I can’t afford that cost of living anymore.”

Gendebien by 10%, compared to women who support Gendebien by a margin of 18%. Those aged 35-54 were more likely to back Constantino, as were those whose annual income was less than $50,000.

The poll also asked participants which candidate would do a better job on several issues pertinent to the district, such as affordability, healthcare, and relations with neighboring Canada. Gendebien outranked Constantino on all issues save for one (addressing undocumented immigration in New York).

Respondents were also asked about whether each candidate possessed certain qualities. A plurality of 49% said Constantino was not in touch with average New Yorkers and doesn’t have the right experience to be a member of Congress. In comparison, most respondents felt Gendebien was more in tune with average New Yorkers and considered him more honest. For both candidates, respondents were more likely to say they would “get things done” if elected to Congress.

Constantino campaign spokesperson Alex DeGrasse criticized the poll results in a statement issued on Friday following this story’s publication, referring to it as “another scam poll.” He noted the poll's unusual inclusion of Schmidt, a write-in candidate not listed on the official ballot, and that Gendebien’s own campaign had put out poll results this week that showed Constantino slightly ahead.

“By every metric, this is an unscientific poll,” DeGrasse said. “Anthony Constantino is winning NY-21 despite everyone in the media trying to prevent that at all costs.”

Michael Waller, a campaign manager for Gendebien, called on Constantino's campaign to release its own internal polling if they have an issue with the Siena poll results.

“If Anthony’s team thinks Siena got it wrong, they should put their own numbers on the table,” Waller said in a statement. "They (the Constantino campaign) will call this a Democrat scam and demand Siena go door to door apologizing to every voter. If anyone owes the North Country an apology, it’s Anthony, for running a campaign that puts his gripes over their needs.”

Constantino on the attack, Gendebien absent at debate

With the midterms less than a month away, both candidates are trying to shore up support ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Constantino has gone on the offensive, accusing his opponent of illegal dumping on Gendebien’s property in the St. Lawrence County town of Lisbon.

The accusation came following a private investigation done by a firm hired by Constantino, which provided aerial drone footage that showed tires and assorted debris dumped in a remote area on the Democrat’s farm. Gendebien has denied any wrongdoing, noting that the Department of Environmental Conservation visited the property and saw no violations.

Gendebien has also shown reluctance to hold a debate with Constantino. Both candidates refused a debate invitation with a consortium of media outlets including the Times Union. Gendebien also refused a debate that Constantino agreed to with WRGB-CBS6, resulting in Constantino taking the stage alone this week in what became a de facto one-on-one interview with moderator Tom Eschen.

During the televised event, Constantino continued to hammer Gendebien over the dumping issue. When Eschen tried to pivot to ask Constantino about the high price of diesel fuel, the Republican candidate continued to talk about the dumping.

“I do have to go back to the last question because it’s not an allegation. There’s photos … there’s tremendous amounts of garbage,” Constantino said. “I don’t like litter. I don’t like blight. I like things to look beautiful.” He later answered the question about high diesel prices by saying the U.S. should invest in rebuilding petroleum refineries in Venezuela.

In a statement put out on Tuesday, Gendebien’s campaign accused Constantino of using the dumping issue to compensate for a lack of a clearly defined agenda to help voters in the district.

“Anthony Constantino has been handed every advantage in this race, and he’s spending the final month of it flying drones over a dairy farm because he has no solutions to bring costs down for North Country families,” Waller said in that earlier statement. “Blake will be out talking to voters. Anthony can keep talking to his investigators.”

IN NY SENATE RACE, STEC AND SEALE PLAY THE BLAME GAME FOR HIGH PRICES IN THE NORTH COUNTRY - North County Public Radio (Canton, NY) Website

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

IN NY SENATE RACE, STEC AND SEALE PLAY THE BLAME GAME FOR HIGH PRICES IN THE NORTH COUNTRY

North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY)

10/9/26

The two candidates for New York's largest state senate district met in Plattsburgh earlier this week for their first televised debate. The district is a massive swath of land that stretches from Glens Falls to the Canadian border and juts out west into St. Lawrence County.

Republican Dan Stec has represented the district for six years. He's a Queensbury native and Navy veteran. This year, he's being challenged by Democrat Melissa Seale, a nurse practitioner in Glens Falls with three decades of experience in healthcare with a focus on youth mental health.

Both candidates agreed the North Country needs a strong voice in Albany to represent its largely rural communities, but they spent much of the debate at the Mountain Lake PBS studios disagreeing on policy measures.

The debate began with questions around the prison industry, which has long served as an economic anchor for the district.

Last year, Governor Hochul fired 2,000 correction officers who refused to return to work following a wildcat strike, then signed an executive order barring them from working for both state and local municipal agencies. That exacerbated an existing staffing crisis in New York's prison system. The state placed National Guard troops in some facilities to help with the shortages.

Stec said the state isn’t doing enough to address officers’ safety concerns and that’s why people are no longer entering the industry. “The fathers and uncles and aunts and mothers aren't telling their kids at the kitchen table anymore, 'this was a good career for me. You should go do this,” Stec said.

Seale said better mental health services for officers would help them feel safer and more supported on the job - something she has personal experience with. “I worked as a psychiatric provider in the prison system. I've worked with corrections officers," she said. "I know what the job entails, and it's not an easy job."

Both candidates said they’d like to repeal the HALT Act, which limits the use of solitary confinement in the state’s prisons. While corrections officers say the law limits their ability to punish inmates for bad behavior, advocates say it protects them from cruel and unusual punishment.

Last year, Stec sponsored a bill to repeal the HALT Act, but it never made it to the Senate floor. "We need to be absolutely clear," Stec said. "The prison closures and the prison crisis that we have have been brought to you by Democrats and Democrats alone."

Stec also placed blame for rising costs on the Democratic majority in Albany. He said since they took control of both houses of the legislature eight years ago, the state’s budget has inflated by more than $100 billion dollars - increasing taxes for every New Yorker.

“I look at everything through an affordability lens," Stec said in his opening statement. "And unfortunately, in recent years, the policies that we've taken in Albany, have headed, largely, in a bad direction.”

But Seale blamed rising gas, food, and energy prices on federal policy driven by President Trump and Republicans in Congress. "I've spoken to many business owners who are negatively impacted by the tariffs, such as a brewery that gets its hops from Canada. They don't know if they're going to be able to make it," Seale said. "We need a strong voice advocating in Albany to make sure that families are able to maintain a way of life that they deserve.”

The candidates also differed on immigration, providing universal healthcare coverage, and how to develop the local economy.

Seale said healthcare for all should be rolled out in phases - especially at a time when New Yorkers are losing coverage at alarming rates, and hospitals are being shorted on Medicaid reimbursements. “I know, as a provider myself in Glens Falls, that we've seen our reimbursement rates get cut further and further, where it's being difficult," she said. "It's difficult at this time to maintain private practices up in the North Country.”

But Stec said the reason the New York Health Act hasn’t moved forward in decades is that the system is simply too expensive.

“There are other ways to provide health care to make sure that we're doing it better," he said. "You want to talk about affordability and people leaving the state? They will leave even faster if this bill becomes law, which sat there for 30 years and it hasn't passed yet.”

The candidates also traded jabs on the state’s one-year moratorium on new AI data centers. Proposed projects in Chateaugay and Massena are making headlines.

While Seale praised the moratorium and said research should be scaled up on how the facilities could impact land, water, and energy costs, Stec said data center development should be left up to the towns and cities. “That should be a decision that's made locally, not from Albany," he said.

Stec and Seale were similarly split on the state's immigration policy. Earlier this year, the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act barred local police agencies from working with federal immigration agents on civil investigations.

Stec said the law is "unsafe for everybody," and said law enforcement agencies should be able to communicate with one another at all levels to protect public safety. He supports an exception to the law for border communities in the North Country.

Seale said she would "look into it" but maintained community police officers should not be doing the jobs of federal officials. "It's taking away from our communities, and I feel could make them less safe," she said. "It's our taxpayer dollars. So I think the federals should stay federal, and our community police officers should stay serving the communities."

Stec and Seale did see eye-to-eye on some things. They agreed the recently postponed electric school bus mandate won’t work in a region with cold winters and long routes. Both said the North Country needs a senator who is deeply in tune with the region's issues and can come up with unique solutions to address them.

The debate between the 45th State Senate District candidates was hosted by Mountain Lake PBS and will air in its entirety at 8 p.m. Friday and again at 7 p.m. Saturday.

New Yorkers still have time to register to vote in the November 3 election. Read how here. âââââââ

GENDEBIEN CAMPAIGN SAYS CANDIDATE WAS NEVER SUBJECT IN STATE POLICE COMPLAINT - WWNYTV (Watertown, NY) Website

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

GENDEBIEN CAMPAIGN SAYS CANDIDATE WAS NEVER SUBJECT IN STATE POLICE COMPLAINT

WWNYTV (Watertown, NY)

10/8/26

New York State Police says it has closed its investigation into a complaint of illegal dumping on Five Mile Line road in the town of Lisbon.

That’s the same road where Congressional candidate Blake Gendebien has a farm and was the subject of an illegal dumping complaint filed with the Department of Environmental Conservation. In that complaint, the DEC found no violations.

With the state police case, it never gave further information to indicate whose property was in the complaint, but its statement Thursday seemed to make a connection to Gendebien’s farm.

That statement said, “The New York State Police has closed its investigation into a complaint of illegal dumping on Five Mile Line road in the town of Lisbon. This complaint was previously investigated the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which determined that no violations were committed.”

The Gendebien campaign put out a statement Thursday evening saying, “the complaint Anthony Constantino tried to fraudulently instigate against Blake Gendebien is closed, and that Gendebien was never the subject of any criminal investigation.”

It added, “The entity troopers were investigating is located on the same street as Gendebien’s farm but has absolutely no affiliation with him.”

This started Monday when the Republican candidate in the 21st Congressional District, Anthony Constantino, held a news conference and provided drone shots of farmland showing what Constantino said was trash polluting the land and water on Gendebien’s property.

Gendebien’s statement Thursday said, “The confirmation exposes Constantino’s recent press conference for what it was: a phony, staged event built on a lie. He summoned reporters, stood before the cameras, and told voters something that was never true. In the process, he dragged local media through a manufactured story and forced the State Police and the DEC to set aside their real work.”

GENDEBIEN SPEAKS WITH VETERANS AT SARANAC LAKE EVENT - The Adirondack Daily Enterprise (Saranac Lake, NY) Website

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

GENDEBIEN SPEAKS WITH VETERANS AT SARANAC LAKE EVENT

Adirondack Daily Enterprise (Saranac Lake, NY)

10/7/26

As campaign season enters its home stretch, Democratic NY-21 candidate Blake Gendebien made his case at the Saranac Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars post on Monday.

Speaking to around 20 veterans and family members of those who served, the St. Lawrence County dairy farmer said Congress should be required to vote on military actions and that it should act on preserving Social Security benefits. Despite audience requests, Gendebien again declined to debate his opponent on the ballot before the election.

Post Adjutant David Staszak said the invitation to speak at the veterans-only event was extended to both congressional candidates on the ballot for this race. Republican Anthony Constantino has not replied yet, but the offer is still open, Staszak said.

Independent write-in candidates Christopher Schmidt and Brian Rouleau are also seeking the position, which will be decided in the Nov. 3 general election.

War and VA benefits

Only 16% of the nation's population lives in rural areas, yet this group accounts for almost 50% of military recruits, Gendebien told the assembled veterans.

“I think that our congressmen and women should have a vote before our young men and women are sent into conflicts overseas,” he said. “We disproportionately pay the price in rural America for bad decisions in D.C.”

This statement likely got the most applause in the meeting.

“We’ll put our bodies on the line, but it’s got to be principled, it’s got to be virtuous, it’s got to be honest and it’s got to be clear,” Army veteran Rev. Eric Olsen said. “And you'd better have a plan going in, because you’ve got to get out again.

“We are not portrayed for what we stood for any longer,” Olsen added. “We don’t see the virtue anymore in what we’re doing. We don’t see the honesty, we don’t see the clarity, we don't see the transparency.”

Joe Fisher, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, said there are new proposed rules in the Department of Veterans Affairs which could reduce tinnitus and sleep apnea benefit ratings for future veterans.

Looking to the future of the military, he said representatives should make sure these benefits are not eroded. The next generation of soldiers need them, he said.

Olsen said that veterans’ benefits were hard-fought. Previous generations didn’t have them. It took politicians learning about their needs and fighting for them.

Fort Drum is the only active duty military base in the country without an on-base inpatient hospital. As some North Country hospitals file for bankruptcy, Gendebien said military families have to travel for hours to other cities for care, which can be expensive and stressful.

Attendees also voiced concerns over news that Social Security payments could be cut in 2030 as it runs low on funds, a depletion sped up by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the centrist Bipartisan Policy Center think tank.

Gendebien said there has not been a bipartisan commission on the future of Social Security since the 1980s. He puts the blame on Congress being too polarized to work together.

“We can not be giving tax breaks to billionaires and multinational corporations at the expense of the rest of us, at the expense of our healthcare,” Gendebien said.

He pointed out that $11 trillion of the nation’s $40 trillion debt accumulated during Trump’s two terms of presidency.

“We have to be more responsible. We have to be more conservative. But breaking up the promise we made to seniors and veterans in order to save money is unacceptable,” Gendebien said.

Debate

Several of the veterans — either Gendebien voters or independents listening to both candidates — asked Gendebien to debate Constantino after news this week that he would not attend the CBS6 debate in Albany scheduled for Tuesday evening.

Gendebien said they were planning a debate in September, but alleged Constantino was making “wild demands” like having Roger Stone moderate or holding it in a 15,000 seat stadium.

“He clearly wasn’t serious about a debate,” Gendebien said.

Now, he says the two days proposed for the debates do not work for him, and that October is filled up with events like the one at the VFW.

Still, veterans asked him to reconsider.

Allegations

At a rally in Saranac Lake on Sunday, Constantino accused Gendebien of wanting to change babies’ gender six weeks after they get out of the womb and said his opponent thinks it's OK to kill babies two or three days before they’re born.

“Those are ridiculous lies that he’s saying because he doesn’t want to talk about the real issues,” Gendebien said Monday.

He alleged that Trump’s policies are hurting veterans, farmers, elderly people and business owners, and that these accusations are meant to distract people.

Constantino also called Gendebien a socialist. During the meeting, Gendebien described himself as a “conservative free-market capitalist Democrat.”

“My wife is Cuban. She escaped Cuba as a kid. I don’t think she ran from communism in order to marry a communist,” he later told the press.

Gendebien alleged that Constantino doesn’t live in the district and is “pretending” to be from the North Country. Constantino is best known for his sticker factory in Amsterdam where he grew up, which is just outside of the district boundary, but he has a primary residence in Edinburg, which is inside the district.

Goals

Gendebien said he’d like to sit on the House Armed Service and Agricultural committees.

If elected, he’d like to work on passing a new farm bill first thing. The latest extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expired last week.

Gendebien said he also wants to restore the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that were cut in the Big Beautiful Bill due to alleged widespread fraud, which he said would benefit both farmers and growing children.

“We shouldn’t be taking food away from them,” he said. “We need to make sure nobody goes hungry.”

Gendebien also supports rolling back that bill’s Medicaid cuts which were made due to alleged widespread fraud and restoring the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies.

Gendebien said he’s a Second Amendment supporter. He and his wife have pistol permits and own rifles themselves. He said he believes in safe gun storage laws and background checks, but not an assault weapons ban.

On data centers for artificial intelligence expansion, Gendebien said he agrees with New York’s one-year moratorium on hyperscale centers.

He said leaders need to make sure rural resources are not taken advantage of as they have before. Electric ratepayers should not pay for the increases in electric demand, he said, adding that he believes data centers need to provide their own power.

Gendebien believes the NY-21 district has been “forgotten.”

“There is no deep, dark hole in my soul that needs to be (in Washington D.C.) and needs to be there permanently like our previous representation,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik was a diligent voter through the majority of her time in Congress — often having a 100% voting record and only missing one to three votes a session if she did.

But since the start of 2025 — shortly before her nomination to be the United Nations ambassador was withdrawn and before her short-lived candidacy for New York governor — she has missed 16% of House votes, 110 out of 676 votes, falling well into the 90th percentile of missed votes.

Early voting for the election begins on Oct. 24.

ANCA names new executive director - North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY) Website

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

ANCA NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY)

10/7/26

The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) Board of Directors has named the nonpofit's next executive director.

Emily Nobel Maxwell of Jay will begin on Thursday, Oct. 15. She succeeds Elizabeth Cooper, who led ANCA for five years and left the organization in July to serve as executive director of Feeding New York State.

According to a press release, Nobel Maxwell currently leads Nobel Cause Consulting, which helps organizations and leaders advance social and environmental justice. She also recently served as senior advisor at City Parks Foundation, where she raised funds and provided expertise to advance New York City’s first citywide Urban Forest Plan. Prior to that, she led The Nature Conservancy's inaugural New York Cities program for more than a decade.

Nobel Maxwell earned a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from The New School and a master’s degree in Natural Resource Policy and Behavior with a specialization in Environmental Justice from the University of Michigan.

Nobel Maxwell will lead implementation of ANCA’s 2026-2028 strategic plan, "Building Shared Prosperity," and will focus on strengthening the organization, expanding investment in communities, and building philanthropic and public support.

“I am drawn to ANCA by the brilliance and passion of ANCA’s staff, partners and the people who call the North Country home, and the incredible opportunity to bolster the region in the face of an ever-evolving landscape,” Nobel Maxwell said in a statement. “ANCA connects the strength of our communities with practical opportunities for businesses and residents. I look forward to learning from ANCA’s team and partners, while bringing my experience in building cross-sector partnerships and leading community-centered initiatives to this work, and to helping grow the resources that make it possible.”

Interim Executive Director Zach Hobbs said Nobel Maxwell "has the experience, skills, vision, and energy to lead ANCA to an even fuller realization of our North Country for All vision."

"I’m confident she will strengthen our culture, fund development and program leadership, and empower our team to grow safety, affordability, and prosperity for our region’s businesses, organizations, communities, and residents," Hobbs added.

LGLC receives NYS CPP grants for land acquisition and education - The Sun Community News (Elizabethtown, NY) Website

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

LGLC RECEIVES NYS CPP GRANTS FOR LAND ACQUISITION AND EDUCATION

The Sun Community News (Elizabethtown, NY)

10/7/26

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has been awarded two grants totaling $74,742 from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (CPP) to help further its mission to protect the land that protects Lake George.

One grant of $40,742 will reimburse transaction costs in the acquisition of the 158-acre Spruce Mountain Addition property in the Town of Dresden, purchased by the LGLC in January 2026.

The Spruce Mountain Addition contains more than 1,100 feet of stream corridor, including the headwaters of an unnamed tributary that flows year-round into Lake George by the LGLC’s Leeming Jelliffe Preserve in Huletts Landing. The Addition is adjacent to the 366-acre Spruce Mountain parcel owned by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), with more than a quarter of a mile of shared boundary. This land, in turn, shares a boundary with the Leeming Jelliffe Preserve. Together, this connected stretch of land provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, including the timber rattlesnake, a threatened species in New York State.

A second grant of $34,000 will be used for educational and interpretive signage at the multi-use Dennis L. Dickinson Recreation Park at the McPhillips Preserve. The 317-acre Preserve was permanently protected through a partnership between the LGLC and the towns of Lake George and Queensbury in 2018. The recreation park has several miles of professionally built trails for mountain biking and hiking and an outdoor education pavilion, which will be publicly unveiled in spring of 2027.

Including this latest round of awards, the LGLC has received 29 CPP grants since 2004, totaling more than $760,000. The CPP grants are supported by the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and will leverage an additional $2.2 million in private and local funding. The Land Trust Alliance administers the program in coordination with DEC.

NEW MARIST POLL: HOCHUL LEADS BLAKEMAN BY 11 POINTS AMONG REGISTERED VOTERS - North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY) Website

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

NEW MARIST POLL: HOCHUL LEADS BLAKEMAN BY 11 POINTS AMONG REGISTERED VOTERS

North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY)

10/7/26

A new Marist Poll released Wednesday shows Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul leads her Republican opponent, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, by double-digits among registered voters.

Fifty-three percent of the more than 1,300 respondents say they'll support Hochul, while 42% say they’ll go for Blakeman. Another 5% remain undecided.

Hochul leads in New York City with 69% of the vote, while Blakeman has the advantage Upstate with 51%.

The Marist Poll conducted the survey between Oct. 1 and Oct. 4. It comes two weeks after a pair of other polls told different stories about the state of the governor’s race. On Sept. 23, Siena University reported Hochul had a relatively slim 9-point lead over Blakeman, while Quinnipiac University found she had a far greater 19-point lead.

Split Screen: Gendebien skips NY21 debate for Plattsburgh campaign event, Constantino takes questions from CBS 6 anchor - NNY 360 (Watertown, NY) Website

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

SPLIT SCREEN: GENDEBIEN SKIPS NY21 DEBATE FOR PLATTSBURGH CAMPAIGN EVENT, CONSTANTINO TAKES QUESTIONS FROM CBS 6 ANCHOR

NNY 360 (Watertown, NY)

10/7/26

The candidates for New York’s 21st District spent Tuesday afternoon in vastly different situations.

While Republican Anthony T. Constantino appeared as the only participant in what was meant to be a debate on an Albany-area news station, Democrat Blake Gendebien was opening a joint Democratic campaign office in Plattsburgh, Clinton County.

In Niskayuna, Schenectady County, Constantino took to the airwaves at 5:30 p.m. for a conversation with CBS 6, News Channel 13’s Tom Eschen. It had been designed as a debate; a vacant podium with four printed-out “Reserved for Blake Gendebien” signs sat next to Constantino for the length of what turned out to be more of an interview.

With Gendebien absent, the program turned into more of an interview, and opened with a conversation about tariffs, where Constantino was asked what he would do about the American trade war with Canada and how he would seek to influence the president’s policy of tariffs and bans on Canadian imports. Constantino’s response was that he’s the only candidate close to the President to have an impact in this race, and then said he plans to head north to discuss the issue with his Canadian friend, comedian Ricky Berwick.

“I’m actually leaving here and headed straight to Canada to meet with my friend Ricky Berwick to understand the needs of, to understand this issue and to work on building a relationship with Canada,” he said.

Constantino has long appeared in videos and posts online with Berwick, and was recently criticized by the statewide association of independent living centers that support disabled people for appearing in a video with Berwick in 2024 that involved the repeated use of slurs to intellectually disabled people.

At times the interview turned more into a debate between Constantino and the host, as Constantino repeated points that Eschen disputed as incomplete or inaccurate.

In a conversation about environmental regulations, Constantino took the chance to attack his absent opponent for claims he recently leveled that Gendebien is illegally dumping and polluting on his farm in St. Lawrence County. According to his campaign, Constantino hired an independent investigator who captured images of construction debris, tires and other waste in a pond on Gendebien’s land. He’s also accused Gendebien of dumping cow carcasses on the land; Gendebien runs a dairy farm with hundreds of cows.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation visited the Gendebien farm on Monday after Constantino leveled his claims and found there were no violations on the farm, as Eschen pointed out.

“How did they go out there in one day, and by the way that’s Kathy Hochul’s DEC, and they don’t have jurisdiction over that situation, so that’s a political talking point,” Constantino retorted. “Check the law, it’s a clear violation of state and federal law.”

The state DEC is the main enforcement agency for New York’s pollution and dumping laws and a primary regulator for state environmental farm regulations.

Eschen tried to move on to the topic of fuel prices and the recently signed presidential Executive Order that purports to allow anyone with access to dyed, farm-use only red diesel to use it on the roads. Constantino returned to his allegations of environmental pollution on Gendebien’s farm, arguing that his claims aren’t just allegations, but are true because of the drone surveillance of the property.

About 150 miles north in Plattsburgh, Gendebien started speaking to a small room of active Democrats at almost the exact same time Constantino went on air. He’d spent the day in Essex County, speaking with voters across the district. He was marking the opening of a new coordinated campaign center for the local Democratic candidates from Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul to the local Democratic candidate for county coroner.

Speaking to a small crowd piled into in a suite in a run-down indoor shopping center, Gendebien kept his remarks short, and drew on his experience as a high school basketball coach and likened the race for Congress to a sports season.

“Let me be your coach for a second,” he told the room. “You guys are the best athletes in school today, and it’s easy to be a flashy star, right? You get to be on television, you get to be on social media, you get to be in front of everybody on streaming devices, but that’s not what wins games. What wins games is diving to the floor for a loose ball, getting a skinned up elbow, a skinned up knee. What wins games is staying disciplined and following the plan.”

He also drew on the history of the district, which he called the “breadbasket of the American revolution,” referring to the farms in the region that helped to supply the Continental Army during the war. The farmers who helped to support the Continental Army were penalized by the British when they occupied the region.

“Two-hundred and fifty years later, I think we can honor the work that they did and the sacrifice that they made by hitting the streets, knocking on doors, canvassing and bringing 10 friends to vote on November 3rd,“ he said.

He thanked the roomful of volunteers for the work they were about to start or continue; canvassing, walking door-to-door, distributing yard signs and campaign literature.

In a brief interview with the Watertown Daily Times after his remarks, Gendebien explained that he wasn’t at the CBS 6 debate on Tuesday because his opponent had not agreed to the debate in a timely manner and his schedule had filled up.

“We were ready to debate in September, but he had no interest, or at least his demands were unreasonable,” he said. “A huge stadium, strange moderators, clearly he wasn’t serious.”

CBS 6 has said that Constantino accepted all six dates the station offered for their debate, while Gendebien declined to answer their invitations. They offered to host him at the debate up until the end of air time, offering to accommodate even a late arrival with an extra 30 minutes for the debate.

Gendebien said he believes it’s important to talk to voters in-person and in their communities. When asked if any of the other debates that have been floated, some accepted by Constantino, Gendebien seemed to say none would happen.

“We’re focused on meeting people where they are,” he said.

NY SENATE CANDIDATES SPAR OVER AI DATA CENTERS, IMMIGRATION LAW - WCAX (Burlington, VT) Website

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

NY SENATE CANDIDATES SPAR OVER AI DATA CENTERS, IMMIGRATION LAW

WCAX (Burlington, VT)

10/6/26

Candidates in New York’s 45th Senate District met in a debate on Tuesday, with incumbent Republican Dan Stec facing Glens Falls nurse practitioner and Democrat Melissa Seale ahead of the November election.

A panel asked the candidates several questions, including their thoughts on New York’s one-year AI data center moratorium.

“If there’s adequate energy there, then why shouldn’t it go forward? That should be a decision that’s made locally and not from Albany, which is why I opposed the moratorium,” Stec said.

“The biggest thing is making sure these AI data centers do not impact our communities, the people and the environment,” Seale said.

Both candidates also provided their views on statewide immigration policy. Debate panel member Alek LaShomb: Local Cops, Local Crimes Act passed this year that prohibits local law enforcement from working with federal immigration officials on civil investigations. Do you think this legislation goes far enough or would you like to see this peeled back a little bit?

Melissa Seale: If we are having our community police officers do the work of immigration, which is a federal program, it’s taking away from our communities and I feel it could make them less safe.

Dan Stec: You do not want cops knowing one thing and their brothers and sisters in law enforcement having any ability to work with each other; it’s just unsafe for everybody.

Stec and Seale also said they would work to get a constitutional amendment on former state prisons to voters. That proposal would take three vacant state prisons out of the forest preserve and make them available for development.

“We have a housing crisis; how can we be creative in utilizing these facilities?” Seale said.

While Seale said she doesn’t know how much land should be exchanged for the trio, Stec said he would compromise on a higher amount.

Alek LaShomb: If environmentalists say we want more than two thousand acres for all three back into the forest preserve, would you support that?

Dan Stec: Yes, I would like to know what exactly we are talking about as far as what 2000 acres that is as I am sure they would, but there’s no magic number for me.

DEC clears Gendebien of illegal-dumping complaint - The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) Website

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

DEC CLEARS GENDEBIEN OF ILLEGAL-DUMPING COMPLAINT

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

10/6/26

The state Department of Environmental Conservation [DEC] has cleared NY-21 Democratic candidate Blake Gendebien of alleged illegal dumping on a Lisbon property owned by the farmer.

During a Monday press conference in Colonie, Gendebien’s Republican opponent, Anthony Constantino, presented drone footage shot by private investigators over Gendebien’s property that showed tires and debris scattered in a wooded area near a creek.

Constantino called on the state police and DEC to investigate the site for potential illegal dumping.

On Tuesday, the DEC confirmed that the state agency had received a complaint on Sept. 3 about Gendebien’s property on Five Mile Road in Lisbon. DEC agents visited the site and did not spot any violations there, according to the department. The complaint is now closed.

“Anthony Constantino staged a press conference based entirely on a lie, and he knew it," Gendebien declared in a statement on Tuesday. "Reporters confirmed exactly what we said from the start — the Department of Environmental Conservation found no merit to the complaint and closed the case several weeks ago. Constantino knew the investigation had been discredited, but he dragged the media out in a desperate attempt to save his floundering campaign instead of talking about the issues facing Northern [New York] families."

The site is located approximately 600 yards from the Gendebien’s Twin Mill Farms in Ogdensburg.

Constantino said that he hired Plattsburgh-based Brooks Investigations Group to conduct opposition research on Gendebien using campaign funds.

"The DEC doesn't have jurisdiction to clear a Democrat candidate," Constantino noted in a statement Tuesday. "They are a state agency, controlled by Democrats, whose opinion is irrelevant as everyone can clearly see tires thrown into water which violates multiple state and federal laws. I look forward to explaining to voters that the Green New Scammers are pro-pollution who refuse to tell Blake Gendebien to pay to clean up his dump site.”

Gendebien and Constantino are competing to succeed six-term Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik in the 21st district.

Nathan Couture of Brooks Investigation filed a supporting deposition with state police on Oct. 1 detailing allegations made by an unnamed former employee at Gendebien’s Twin Mill Farms.

The employee, who had previously been fired by Gendebien, provided a sworn affidavit to private investigators that alleges that he was directed by Gendebien to “transport deceased cattle to a wooded area behind the farm and dump them over an embankment into an area containing the creek.”

The employee said he believed the creek flowed toward the wooded area, but the private investigators noted that the “actual contact between [cattle] remains and water require independent verification.”

Officials from State Police Troop B did not respond to an inquiry about the matter as of press time.

Constantino debates empty podium after Gendebien skips CBS6 forum - The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) Website

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

CONSTANTINO DEBATES EMPTY PODIUM AFTER GENDEBIEN SKIPS CBS6 FORUM

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

10/6/26

Anthony Constantino showed up for a debate Tuesday night at CBS6's Niskayuna studio and all he found was an empty podium sporting Blake Gendebien’s name on it.

The proposed debate fizzled this week when Gendebien declined to take part. Constantino took questions from moderator Tom Eschen in a candidate forum instead.

Gendebien was holding an event in Plattsburgh with voters on Tuesday night in lieu of debating Constantino, allowing the Republican candidate to attack his Democratic foe, saying Gendebien “doesn’t want to be here.”

Throughout the forum, Constantino stood next to an empty podium decorated with a sign that read “Reserved for Blake Gendebien.”

The liveliest moment of the night came after the cameras turned off, with a Constantino supporter wearing a large, inflatable chicken costume taking the stage and jumping behind the empty podium reserved for Gendebien.

Constantino stood next to the fowl-costumed person as members of the pro-Constantino crowd clucked and someone yelled out “We found Gendebien!”

Gendebien’s campaign said that the candidate was unable to attend the CBS6 debate because of “prior commitments to voters in the district.” Campaign spokesperson Maeve Kelly previously said that a prior Constantino demand to hold the debate in an arena-size venue such as the Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls delayed debate negotiations earlier this fall.

According to CBS6, the station has offered Gendebien’s campaign six to eight proposed debate dates that would all take place before early voting in the race begins on Oct. 24.

The Gendebien campaign contends that by the time that Constantino had agreed to the Tuesday debate that Gendebien’s calendar was full and he was unable to participate.

“Blake will be out meeting voters where they are, as he has been throughout this campaign,” the Gendebein campaign said in a statement.

Constantino told Eschen before the debate began that he was surprised that Gendebien ultimately did not show up to the debate.

“I thought he would have come,” Constantino said.

The event took place exactly four weeks before Constantino and Gendebien face off in the general election on Nov. 3 as they compete to succeed U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik in the 21st Congressional district.

The forum was shortened from an hour down to 30 minutes when Gendebien declined to take part.

Constantino fielded questions from Eschen on topics ranging from gas prices, the Iran War and federal Medicaid cuts.

In response to a question about how he would handle rising costs for farmers due to president Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, Constantino said he would use his relationship with Trump to “bring that negotiation to a prompt resolution.”

Trump endorsed Constantino in the spring during his GOP primary race against Assemblyman Robert Smullen.

As the forum neared its conclusion, Constantino declined multiple times to answer an Eschen question on whether he would have voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act if he would have been in Congress in 2025, with Constantino calling the matter “resolved.”

During the forum, Constantino criticized his Democratic opponent for alleged illegal dumping on a Lisbon property owned by Gendebien.

Constantino detailed the accusations in a Monday press event, presenting drone footage shot by private investigators hired by his campaign that showed tires and debris strewn on a property owned by Gendebien near his Ogdensburg farm. A sworn affidavit from a former Gendebien employee says that Gendebien told the worker to dispose of cattle remains on the Lisbon property.

On Tuesday, the state Department of Conservation [DEC], said that the agency had received a complaint on Sept. 3 about Gendebien’s property on Five Mile Road in Lisbon. DEC agents visited the site and did not spot any violations there, according to the department. The complaint is now closed.

Constantino argued that the DEC investigation was compromised by the Democratic Party, referring to the agency as “Kathy Hochul’s DEC.”

“You don’t care about the environment and the safety of the American people if you’re throwing dozens of tires into waterways and dead cows into waterways,” Constantino said during the forum.

On two occasions in September, the Gazette News Group and CBS6 had proposed a joint debate in the NY-21 race, offering to host a televised debate on Oct. 1, Oct. 7, Oct. 15 or Oct. 21. Neither the Constantino or Gendebien campaigns responded to the invitation.

Constantino subsequently agreed to appear at a CBS6 debate that was arranged separately with the television station.

Constantino debated his GOP primary opponent Smullen in a CBS6 debate that was arranged hours beforehand on May 28. Constantino had originally declined to participate in that debate but agreed at the last minute to take part after CBS6 planned to host a solo forum with Smullen. That debate ended with Smullen refusing to shake Constantino’s hand.

In June, Gendebien and Democratic primary opponent Stuart Amoriell took part in a CBS6 debate.

HOCHUL AND BLAKEMAN HAVE DIFFERENT PLANS TO MAKE NY MORE AFFORDABLE - The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY) Website

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

HOCHUL AND BLAKEMAN HAVE DIFFERENT PLANS TO MAKE NY MORE AFFORDABLE

The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)

10/5/26

New Yorkers face high costs for gasoline, rent, energy bills and groceries.

And if New York's two candidates for governor cannot provide solutions to those problems that appeal to voters, they could face their own exorbitant cost on Nov. 3: losing the election.

In one of their only areas of consensus, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor, agree that the state faces an affordability crisis. Their plans to address it are very different, however, making it one of the more contentious issues in the race.

It is an issue full of boasts, blame and bombastic promises to deliver real answers to consumers on a fiscal problem that shows no signs of ending.

"It is going to take a much longer time to get rid of this inflation than I think people think. It isn't going to happen right after the election," said Fred Floss, a professor at SUNY Buffalo State and former chair of the college's Department of Economics and Finance.

Floss, a former executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, and member of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority appointed by Gov. David Paterson, said it would take months for diesel fuel to arrive once the Strait of Hormuz, closed amid the war in Iran, reopens. Floss said higher gas costs will be priced into the cost of food, clothes and other goods because they are transported by trucks .

"So, we're really looking at inflation for the next year or two," Floss said, adding that interest rates would likely go up to control the rising costs.

Inflation has exceeded the Federal Reserve System's target of 2% for more than 5½ years, said Julie Anna Golebiewski, an associate professor of economics and finance at Canisius University. She said gasoline prices are up 27.4% over the year and shelter costs, such as rent, are up 3% from last year.

"It has been particularly difficult recently as hourly wage increases have not kept pace with price inflation, causing consumers to work more hours and/or take second jobs to make ends meet," Golebiewski said.

Two approaches to affordability

Hochul, who took office in August 2021 following the resignation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and won election in 2022, has continually touted her "affordability agenda" on the campaign trail. The Buffalo-born Democrat intensified her focus on affordability a month after President Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris to win a second term – an outcome widely attributed to inflation.

In December 2024, Hochul announced plans for the state's first Inflation Refund, which ultimately resulted in checks of up to $200 for individuals and $400 for families, reaching 8.2 million New Yorkers.

Hochul's enacted policies include expanded childcare subsidies and funding to make prekindergarten available to all 4-year-olds statewide by the start of the 2028-29 school year; an increase in New York's minimum wage to $16 in most of the state and $17 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County; an increase in child tax credits of up to $1,000 for households with children under 4 and up to $500 for households with children 4 to 16; free breakfasts and lunches in schools; cuts of 20 basis points in each of the state's first five income tax brackets; energy rebate checks of up to $200; no state income tax on up to $25,000 in tipped wages; and laws intended to cut car insurance premiums.

If re-elected, Hochul has promised additional housing initiatives to help first-time homebuyers and an expansion of free community college programs at SUNY and CUNY.

In a statement, Hochul's campaign communications director, Sarafina Chitika, said Hochul "knows what it’s like to stretch a paycheck for a young family, and she’s governed like it." She slammed Blakeman for "making Nassau one of the least affordable counties in America."

Blakeman, in a statement, said: "Kathy Hochul’s policies made New York unlivable."

Blakeman proposes tax, energy cuts

If elected, Blakeman promised to eliminate all state income tax on the first $50,000 for single filers or $100,000 for married couples.

"New York families deserve a break. Your paycheck should go further," Blakeman said on X on Wednesday. "As governor, I’ll fight to make that happen."

On Sept. 22 in Albany, Blakeman said New York had spent “billions of dollars” on migrants in the country illegally. The state has, in fact, spent more than $2.7 billion on emergency assistance for asylum-seekers since 2023, according to the state comptroller, though asylum-seekers are not necessarily in the country illegally.

Blakeman also said migrants receive food, housing, transportation and a cellphone within 15 minutes of arriving, and get more benefits than New Yorkers. The state and New York City have provided shelter, food and other assistance to some asylum-seekers, but there is no universal package of benefits automatically provided upon arrival. Federal immigration authorities also have issued phones to some migrants for electronic monitoring, but those devices are restricted and are not free personal cellphones.

"How do we pay for that tax cut? Simple: We stop spending billions of taxpayer dollars on illegal migrants, we root out the waste and fraud Hochul created, and we stop driving our families and employers out of New York so our tax base stays right here at home," Blakeman said in a statement.

Blakeman's campaign did not say where the specific billions of dollars would be cut.

Blakeman said he plans to cut utility bills in half by using money from what he called Hochul's "energy tax slush fund" and returning it to ratepayers. A similar proposal was suggested at a state budget hearing on Jan. 28 by Sen. Thomas O'Mara, R-Big Flats, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. O'Mara noted that the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's financial plan projected more than $2 billion in annual surpluses, which came from utility payments from ratepayers and proceeds from the multistate Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to cap and reduce emissions from power plants.

O'Mara, who represents eastern Allegany County, asked NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris why the money could not go to ratepayers. Harris said the plan contemplated fully committing the money to multiyear projects and programs.

Blakeman said he would also save the state money by tapping into local natural gas and expanding nuclear power to "generate cheap, reliable, New York-made power" as opposed to "buying expensive imported electricity."

Blakeman and Hochul have criticized each other's proposals. For instance, Hochul campaign aides noted that during an appearance on Fox Business in June, Blakeman said he could cut property taxes 25% across the board by making sure "we cut Medicaid in half. It comes back to a reasonable number." They said such cuts would force hospitals to close and increase healthcare costs.

The aides noted Blakeman, when asked about free childcare, said he would support tax credits for "working people who need childcare for their kids, not for some lazy a-- who is going to sit on the couch and send their kids off to daycare so they can watch 'The View' or cartoons. That ain't happening with me as governor."

In June, Hochul announced more than $2 billion in tax relief under the state's School Tax Relief program, known as STAR, which is intended to offset the cost of school taxes. Most eligible homeowners receive $350 to $600, while most eligible seniors receive $700 to $1,500, depending on income and other factors. Blakeman called it a gimmick that did nothing to offset costs that he attributed to Hochul. Blakeman, if elected, is proposing to double the STAR relief program.

Promises meet reality

Floss said the affordability discussion comes amid continued cuts from Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill in areas such as Medicaid, education and other programs.

"As we start to look through these cuts, there's going to be a bunch of things that we're going to have to deal with," he said, "and that's going to be a problem."

When candidates propose ideas on the campaign trail, they can often have unintended consequences, Floss said. He noted Hochul had supported the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that Cuomo signed into law in 2019. It required the state to lower pollution-linked emissions 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050.

This year, Hochul negotiated later target dates into the state budget, writing in an op-ed that it was "solely out of necessity" to protect New Yorkers’ pocketbooks from increases in gasoline and fuel prices.

"You need to be careful about thinking about all the extra things that happen when you make a proposal," Floss said. "You can propose a lot of things. That doesn't mean that they're going to come true the way you think they are because there are other things that are happening above and beyond what you think is happening.

"We're in a time where things are very, very volatile," Floss said. "How are we making sure that whatever we do is not going to do any harm?"

GENDEBIEN CAMPAIGN FACES FEC COMPLAINT OVER EMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN NATIONAL - North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY) Website

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

GENDEBIEN CAMPAIGN FACES FEC COMPLAINT OVER EMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN NATIONAL

North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY)

10/5/26

St. Lawrence County farmer Blake Gendebien's campaign for Congress may have violated federal election rules.

Gendebien is the Democratic nominee in the race to replace GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik in New York's 21st Congressional District. Campaign finance records show that earlier this year, his campaign made just over $8,000 in salary payments to Gabriella Grabovska. According to Grabovska’s LinkedIn profile, she worked as a finance assistant for the campaign from April to August.

The Daily Caller reported two weeks ago that Gendebien’s campaign may have violated Federal Elections Commission regulations because Grabovska isn’t a U.S. citizen. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to NCPR that she’s "an alien from Ukraine” who entered the U.S. on a temporary basis in August 2022.

FEC regulations prohibit foreign nationals from making any contributions or expenditures in connection with any state, local or federal election. They’re also barred from taking part in the decision-making process of any election-related activities.

Last week, Barbara Whelan of Gansevoort in Saratoga County filed an FEC complaint against Gendebien’s campaign over Grabovska's employment.

"Given Grabovska's position on the campaign finance team, I believe there is sufficient reason to investigate whether she participated directly or indirectly in decisions concerning campaign expenditures, disbursements, fundraising, or administration," Whelan wrote in the camplaint, a copy of which she provided to NCPR.

Whelan said she is not affiliated with any congressional campaign in NY-21.

FEC Deputy Press Officer Myles Martin wrote in an email that the agency can’t provide any information about open complaints, including whether they’ve been received.

"If the Commission finds that a violation occurred, possible outcomes can range from a letter reiterating compliance obligations to a conciliation agreement, which may include a monetary civil penalty," he added.

Gendebien’s campaign had yet to be notified of the complaint as of Friday.

"The campaign follows all applicable FEC rules and takes compliance seriously," Gendebien Campaign Manager Michael Waller said in a statement. "I can also confirm that campaign employees with the title of finance assistant do not have decision-making authority."

Waller said Grabovska no longer works for the campaign. Her LinkedIn profile indicates she’s now at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

In a statement, Gendebien’s Republican opponent, Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, said voters "shouldn't have to file federal complaints and call for investigations to get answers" about why Grabovska was hired.

"He owes them the truth today," Constantino added.

Waller said Constantino’s attacks against Gendebien are a distraction.

The FEC can take months to resolve a complaint. For example, a complaint filed against NY-21 Democratic candidate Paula Collins in July 2024 wasn’t formally dismissed until February 2025, three months after the election took place.

CONSTANTINO ALLEGES THAT GENDEBIEN ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL DUMPING ON LISBON PROPERTY - The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) Website

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

CONSTANTINO ALLEGES THAT GENDEBIEN ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL DUMPING ON LISBON PROPERTY

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

10/5/26

Republican Congressional candidate Anthony Constantino is alleging that his Democratic opponent, Blake Gendebien, has illegally dumped tires and cattle carcasses at a property owned by the Ogdensburg farmer.

At a press event at the Desmond Hotel on Monday afternoon, Constantino showed drone footage captured by private investigators over Gendebien’s Lisbon property that showed tires and debris scattered in a wooded area.

Constantino said that the property was owned by Gendebien and located approximately 600 yards from the candidate’s Twin Mill Farms in Ogdensburg.

Gendebein said the matter had previously been resolved and he had been cleared by an unspecified agency. The state Department of Environmental Conservation [DEC] did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Six-dollar diesel is making farming hard enough without this weirdo drone stalking my home and business because he doesn’t know how farming works,” Gendebien said of Constantino.

Gendebien’s campaign was unable to immediately provide documentation that he had been cleared in the matter.

An unnamed former employee at Gendebien’s Twin Mill Farms provided a sworn affidavit to private investigators that alleges that he was directed by Gendebien to “transport deceased cattle to a wooded area behind the farm and dump them over an embankment into an area containing the creek.”

The employee said he believed the creek flowed toward the wooded area but the private investigators noted that the “actual contact between [cattle] remains and water require independent verification.”

Constantino said that he hired Plattsburgh-based Brooks Investigations Group to conduct opposition research on Gendebien using campaign funds. Jeremiah Stone Brooks said the private investigation firm was paid roughly $3,000 to conduct the investigation.

Nathan Couture of Brooks Investigation filed a supporting deposition with state police on Oct. 1 detailing the former employee’s allegations.

“Gendebien has dumped nearly two basketball courts worth of garbage to avoid having to pay for proper waste disposal,” Constantino said on Monday.

Officials from State Police Troop B did not respond to an inquiry about the matter as of press time.

The NY-21 candidates are facing off in the Nov. 3 general election in the race to replace six-term U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Constantino said that he was asking state police and DEC to investigate the allegation and for Gendebien to pay to clean up his property. An estimate for site cleanup cited by Constantino from Kelly’s Capital Flooring and Construction estimates that it would cost $200,000 to remediate the site.

Constantino has already created a digital ad featuring the drone footage with an announcer intoning “If Blake won’t take care of his land, why would he take care of us?”

Constantino has agreed to appear at a CBS6 debate on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the station’s Niskayuna studio. Gendebien has yet to accept the station’s invitation to take part in the debate, with CBS6 announcing that the event will take place as a solo Constantino forum if Gendebien does not reverse course and agree to debate.

Gendebien spokesperson Maeve Kelly reiterated on Monday that Gendebien was not available to participate in the Tuesday debate and would not be attending.

APA GIVES LOON LAKE LANDOWNERS UNTIL OCT. 15 TO FIX WETLAND VIOLATIONS - Adirondack Explorer (Saranac Lake, NY) Website

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

APA GIVES LOON LAKE LANDOWNERS UNTIL OCT. 15 TO FIX WETLAND VIOLATIONS

Adirondack Explorer (Saranac Lake, NY)

10/5/26

The logging and road work around Loon Lake that residents unsuccessfully sued over earlier this year, has led to wetlands damage in the Franklin County watershed.

An Adirondack Park Agency (APA) enforcement investigation is now underway of Loon Gulf, a private company that owns 380 acres on the southwest side of the water body.

The APA, which oversees public and private development in the park, identified in June two wetland fill violations along Blue Spruce Drive, caused by the company’s logging machinery and snow plowing.

In letters to Loon Gulf’s local representative, Saranac Lake realtor Brian Draper, the agency gave the company two attempts to fix the runoff and erosion issues. While some work has been done, records show it has not met the agency’s standards.

John Burth, deputy director of regulatory programs at the APA, most recently wrote to Draper on Sept. 30 that the company has until Oct. 15 to finish the remediation work “to avoid further enforcement, including a civil penalty.”

Adirondack Explorer received the records through the Freedom of Information Law.

An ongoing dispute

The enforcement matter is part of a brewing dispute between the Loon Lake Homeowners Association, the APA, Loon Gulf and another private company that also owns a large tract of land on the other side of the lake called Elephant Re. The two companies, through Draper, have indicated they intend to build a 52-lot subdivision on the private lake about 18 miles northeast of Saranac Lake. Draper has submitted preliminary proposals to the APA, but no official application. He had previously advertised lots for sale called “Loon Lake Heights,” but has since removed the postings.

Homeowners on the lake have been frustrated by what they consider to be loopholes in the agency’s regulations.

They argue the timber harvesting and roadwork are site preparations for the subdivision, which would be illegal without a permit. But after multiple site visits, the agency had said the timber harvesting was under its jurisdictional threshold for clearcutting.

The Loon Lake Homeowner’s Association sued both companies and the APA earlier this year, attempting to spur an enforcement action. Martin D. Auffredou, a state supreme court justice in Warren County, dismissed the suit on Sept. 18. He said the lawsuit against the APA was “premature,” and the wrong legal proceeding to bring against private companies.

While glad to see some APA enforcement, association members said it comes too late. The area’s natural resources are already impacted. Pictures from the enforcement record show silt buildup in a wetland and a degraded town road.

Franklin Town Supervisor Dorothy Brown wrote the agency over the summer to complain about the logging truck’s destruction of Blue Spruce Drive.

“The Town of Franklin taxpayers are not responsible for the recklessness and destruction that has been caused by the land developers,” she wrote. “The erosion that is going down hill and into the lake is criminal.”

Stuart Lucks, co-president of the homeowners association, said there has been no new cutting on the property since last winter. He described “slash and debris” everywhere on the Loon Gulf property.

“Loon Lake is a test case for problematic development activities in the whole park that need to be addressed through updated regulation and a serious attention to the environmental quality review acts that are on the books even now,” Lucks said.

Lucks said the association is still deciding whether it will appeal or if it will take any other legal action.

Draper did not respond to Adirondack Explorer’s inquiries.

Mary Newman Fox, spokesperson for the APA, said the lawsuit’s outcome “allows the Agency to continue its review of the existing pre-application and follow the appropriate regulatory process in accordance with the APA Act.”

Hochul declares State Disaster Emergency as NY surpasses 100 measles cases this year - North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY) Website

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

HOCHUL DECLARES STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY AS NY SURPASSES 100 MEASLES CASES THIS YEAR

North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY)

10/5/26

Governor Kathy Hochul announced Monday an executive order to declare a State Disaster Emergency due to an increase in measles cases across New York.

The state has seen 108 total cases this year — with 92 coming since July 15. The counties with the highest concentration of cases are Otsego County (20 cases), Seneca County (17), and Steuben County (14), according to the state's dashboard.

"No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease," Hochul said in a press release announcing the declaration. "That is why I have taken steps to increase the number of health professionals who can vaccinate and test. These emergency measures will protect New Yorkers and support our community partners as they work tirelessly to address the spread of this disease."

In Western New York, Allegany County has seen six reported cases, Chautauqua County three cases, and Erie County two cases.

According to the release, the executive order "extends the pool of eligible individuals who can administer measles vaccines, including paramedics, advanced EMS providers, pharmacists and midwives, and in addition to physicians, also allows nurses to order testing."

Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes rash and fever and can lead to hospitalization and death. According to the release, one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides 93% protection while two doses provides 97% protection.

According to the state's dashboard, Erie County's vaccination rate — 1 MMR dose by 2 years of age — is 86.2%.

COMMENTARY: BLAKEMAN’S FISCAL RECORD TELLS ANOTHER STORY - Times Union (Albany, NY) Website

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

COMMENTARY: BLAKEMAN’S FISCAL RECORD TELLS ANOTHER STORY

Times Union (Albany, NY)

10/2/26

Nassau County Executive and GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman wants voters to think he is fiscally skilled enough to merit a promotion to the state’s top job. Unfortunately, Blakeman’s record suggests otherwise.

In 1999, when Blakeman served as the presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, the county faced a fiscal crisis and near-insolvency due to years of profligate spending and mismanagement. Blakeman, who now poses as a tax-cutter and champion of law enforcement, was the sponsor of county budgets that increased property taxes by 3.5% in 1998 and by an additional 9% in 1999. With Blakeman’s support, the 1999 budget cut more than $4 million from the police department.

As a result of the fiasco, voters handed control of the county Legislature to Democrats in the 1999 elections. Blakeman was defeated. The next year, the state put Nassau County into a form of receivership via the creation of the Nassau Interim Financial Authority, a financial control board that still supervises the county’s finances 25 years after the crisis Blakeman helped create.

In 2001, Democrats won complete control over a county whose government had long been dominated by a Republican Party machine.

Blakeman ended up back where he started: He secured a seat on the Hempstead Town Council, where he had previously served in the early 1990s. After unsuccessful bids for Congress and even mayor of New York City, he returned to county government in 2021, winning the race for county executive by less than a percentage point. And he resumed the same fiscal mismanagement that resulted in his defeat in 1999.

Blakeman promised to fix the county’s dysfunctional property tax assessment system. Instead, he undermined the prior administration’s attempt to reassess properly the values of all the real estate in the county and reinstituted an assessment “freeze,” guaranteeing that values would be incorrect because they are not regularly updated. That same practice helped destroy the county’s finances in the 1990s.

As county executive, Blakeman has done nothing to restrain spending. Despite his misleading campaign rhetoric, he has never cut a penny in county taxes. He misspent federal COVID aid to keep the budget afloat, money that is now exhausted. He disguises taxes as exorbitant “fees” charged for basic services, like recording papers in the county clerk’s office. And unlike Suffolk County, Nassau has refused to refund drivers for red light camera ticket surcharges that an appellate court has declared illegal.

The county’s public hospital, the Nassau University Medical Center, has lost hundreds of millions of dollars annually and projects a $167 million deficit for 2026. The hospital’s debt exceeds $1 billion, at least $100 million of which is guaranteed by county taxpayers. But Blakeman allowed the hospital’s management to degenerate into a bizarre circus overseen by one of his largest campaign donors.

In 2025, the state Legislature was forced to reform the hospital’s board to reduce Blakeman’s number of appointees. Instead of cooperating with the state to save the hospital from bankruptcy, Blakeman has refused to appoint any members to the newly constituted hospital board.

Bruce Blakeman’s public record is a tally of fiscal ineptitude that belies his campaign rhetoric. He is not a fiscal conservative. He has never cut a tax. Yet he now masquerades as a tax-and-spend hawk, saying he can reduce income taxes and cut utility rates “in half on day one” — promises that are nonsensical in a state where both houses of the Legislature are dominated by Democrats. His campaign, like his career, is built around empty cliches.

Sadly, Blakeman’s presence at the top of the Republican ticket is a disservice to his party and the voters of the state who seek a credible alternative to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

DEC ANNOUNCES $2.7M IN CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM GRANTS - The Sun Community News (Elizabethtown, NY) Website

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

DEC ANNOUNCES $2.7M IN CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM GRANTS

The Sun Community News (Elizabethtown, NY)

10/2/26

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton has announced that $2.7 million was awarded to 45 not-for-profit land trusts across the state.

The funding, made available through the Conservation Partnership Program (CPP), will support 56 projects designed to support land trusts and their ongoing work, which complement the State’s efforts to conserve open space, boost public access for outdoor recreation, protect water quality, and promote climate resiliency.

“This year marks the 22nd round of Conservation Partnership Program grants, demonstrating New York’s commitment to supporting Land Trusts in their important work,” said Commissioner Lefton. “Partnerships with land trusts are essential to achieving our statewide conservation goals. Continuing this successful partnership with the Land Trust Alliance and New York’s land trusts across the state ensures the benefits of open space are enjoyed by all including providing recreation access, supporting community conservation projects, and promoting climate resilience through land stewardship.”

The CPP grants are supported by the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and will leverage an additional $2.2 million in private and local funding. The Land Trust Alliance administers the program in coordination with DEC. Since its creation in 2002, CPP has awarded 1,325 grants totaling more than $36.7 million to 100 land trusts, with the funding leveraging at least $36.8 million in additional private and local funding.

The grant awards range from $6,861 to $100,000. This year's grantees include 38 accredited land trusts that secured independent verification that their work and operations meet high standards for land conservation, stewardship, and nonprofit management.

In the North Country, funding awards were as follows:

-Adirondack Land Trust: Transaction Grant, $75,000

-Champlain Area Trails: Transaction Grant, $75,000

-OBI Land Trust: Stewardship and Resource Management Grant, $31,088

-Thousand Islands Land Trust: Conservation Catalyst Grant, $99,500

-Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust: Professional Development Grant, $72,000; Stewardship and Resource Management Grant, $18,000

CONSTANTINO TO APPEAR AT CBS6 DEBATE, GENDEBIEN DECLINES - The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) Website

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

CONSTANTINO TO APPEAR AT CBS6 DEBATE, GENDEBIEN DECLINES

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

10/1/26

Republican candidate Anthony Constantino has agreed to take part in an upcoming CBS6 debate in the NY-21 Congressional race while Democratic opponent Blake Gendebien's campaign says he's not available to participate in the debate.

Both candidates have ignored a prior attempt by the Gazette News Group and CBS6 to arrange a joint debate in the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.

According to CBS6, the station has offered Gendebien’s campaign six to eight proposed debate dates that would all take place before early voting begins Oct. 24.

Gendebien campaign spokesperson Maeve Kelly said Thursday that Gendebien’s schedule is full throughout October and that she didn’t foresee him taking part in the CBS6 debate.

Kelly mentioned that a prior Constantino demand to hold the debate in an arena-size venue such as the Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls delayed debate negotiations earlier this fall. The CBS6 debate will instead take place at the station’s Niskayuna studio.

“Our schedule is genuinely packed all the way up through after early voting starts,” Kelly said. “We’ll be going on a tour of the district. So all of the dates that CBS has proposed do not work. Our schedule didn’t sit empty while Anthony was spewing out his crazy rules for a debate.”

The Constantino campaign said it has agreed to six different dates for potential CBS6 debates between Oct. 6 and Oct. 20.

“Gendebien wants to spend far left donor money to lie about me in ads but can't debate,” Constantino said in a statement.

On two occasions in September, the Gazette News Group and CBS6 had proposed a joint debate in the NY-21 race, offering to host a proposed televised event Oct. 1, Oct. 7, Oct. 15 or Oct. 21. Neither the Constantino nor Gendebien campaigns responded to the invitation.

Constantino, CEO of his company Sticker Mule, has now agreed to appear at a CBS6 debate that was arranged separately with the television station.

After he turned down a Gazette News Group primary debate invitation this spring, Constantino stated publicly that he would participate in a Gazette debate for the general election.

The Constantino campaign declined to respond to an inquiry Thursday about the decision to decline the initial joint CBS6-Gazette News Group debate.

“I’m disappointed that neither Mr. Constantino nor Mr. Gendebien have responded to our invitation for a debate, but at least I’m hopeful that the voters of the 21st might get a chance to see a debate after all,” Gazette News Group senior editor Miles Reed said in a statement. “When candidates from anyplace on the political spectrum decline to debate in public, it’s the voters who are disenfranchised. This is especially true when it comes to higher offices such as Congress. Voters deserve to see how the candidates will acquit themselves in challenging situations and tense moments like a debate. That’s part of the job in Washington.”

Constantino debated his GOP primary opponent, Assemblyman Robert Smullen, on May 28 in a CBS6 debate that was arranged hours beforehand. Constantino had originally declined to participate in that debate, but agreed hours beforehand to take part after CBS6 planned to host a solo forum with Smullen.

Two weeks later, Gendebien and Democratic primary opponent Stuart Amoriell faced off in a CBS6 debate, also hosted at the station’s Niskayuna studio.

On Thursday, CBS6 noted that the station is aiming to arrange a debate with both Constantino and Gendebien, but that the event will move forward either way at a date to be determined.

“This is an important race for New York’s 21st Congressional District, and voters deserve a substantive, fair forum that moves beyond campaign talking points and gets to the issues that will affect their lives,” Stone Grissom, news director at CBS6, said in a statement. “We are committed to giving both candidates the opportunity to explain their positions directly to the people they hope to represent.”

TRUMP WEIGHING UPSTATE NEW YORK TRIP - Politico (Website) Website

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 EST

TRUMP WEIGHING UPSTATE NEW YORK TRIP

Politico (Website)

10/1/26

President Donald Trump is considering a trip to upstate New York on Oct. 9 to appear alongside Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.

The event is being considered for central New York, but has not been finalized, said a fourth person. The people were granted anonymity to disclose the private conversations about the potential trip.

Blakeman’s campaign did not comment and the White House did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Trump previously appeared on Long Island this summer to rally with Blakeman and Republican House candidates.

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, is mounting an uphill bid against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is seeking a second full term. The governor’s campaign has hammered the GOP nominee over his ties to Trump.

Blakeman is trailing Hochul in polls: A recent Siena Research Institute poll showed him down by 9 points; a Quinnipiac University found the governor’s lead is 19 points.

The president’s potential trip to a deep blue state where he is highly unpopular is raising eyebrows in New York GOP circles.

New York is home to several swing House seats that stand to determine control of the House. Some GOP operatives fret his presence will prove counterproductive.

“With the national environment crumbling under our feet, this should be the final nail in the coffin for New York Republicans,” one GOP strategist said, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about the dynamic.

ADIRONDACKS RANK #1 IN U.S. FOR FALL FOLIAGE - Adirondack Almanack (Saranac Lake, NY) Website

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 EST

ADIRONDACKS RANK #1 IN U.S. FOR FALL FOLIAGE

Adirondack Almanack (Saranac Lake, NY)

9/30/26

New Priceline data names the Adirondacks as the No. 1 leaf-peeping destination in the U.S. for 2026.

Priceline analyzed hotel search trends across regions known for fall foliage to identify the destinations travelers are most interested in visiting for peak fall color, with the Adirondacks topping the list ahead of the Columbia River Gorge and Aspen.

Top 10 U.S. scenic areas for leaf peeping in 2026

Adirondacks, New York
Columbia River Gorge, Washington
Aspen, Colorado
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Tunnel of Trees, Michigan
North Lake Tahoe, Nevada
The Berkshires, Massachusetts
Stowe, Vermont
French Lick, Indiana

Methodology: Priceline analyzed hotel searches in regions known for fall foliage made by U.S.-based consumers between Oct. 2–26.

LAKE PLACID PREPARES FOR MAJOR 2026-27 INTERNATIONAL SPORTS SEASON - The Sun Community News (Elizabethtown, NY) Website

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 EST

LAKE PLACID PREPARES FOR MAJOR 2026-27 INTERNATIONAL SPORTS SEASON

The Sun Community News (Elizabethtown, NY)

9/30/26

Lake Placid is preparing to welcome the world back for another season of major international and national competition, with a 2026-27 Olympic Authority events calendar featuring World Cups in mountain biking, freestyle aerials, ski jumping and Nordic Combined, along with the return of the FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships to Whiteface Mountain for the first time since 1994.

From October through March, Olympic Authority venues will host elite athletes across cycling, skiing, sliding, hockey, biathlon, figure skating and other disciplines, drawing athletes, teams, spectators and visitors to the region while generating economic activity for North Country communities.

The international calendar begins Oct. 2-4 with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Finals at Mt Van Hoevenberg and Whiteface Mountain. Lake Placid will serve as the final stop of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and the concluding World Cup rounds for XCO, XCC and DHI to determine the season’s overall champions.

The return of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series follows significant economic impact from the 2025 competition, which generated an estimated $11.1 million in total economic impact, including $7.0 million in direct spending and $1.4 million in state and local tax revenue.

Winter brings another series of major competitions to the Olympic venues. The Olympic Jumping Complex will host an FIS Freestyle Aerials World Cup Jan. 16-17, followed by the return of men’s and women’s FIS Ski Jumping World Cups, Feb. 6-7, along with the first FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Lake Placid since 1989 on Feb. 4-6.

Whiteface Mountain will host the FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships March 2-12, bringing the world’s leading junior alpine athletes to New York. Lake Placid last hosted the Alpine Junior World Ski Championships in 1994.

OLYMPIC CENTER ANCHORS COLLEGIATE HOCKEY CALENDAR

The Lake Placid Olympic Center will again serve as a major destination for collegiate hockey during the 2026-27 season. The season began with the inaugural American Collegiate Hockey Association Fall Faceoff Invitational Sept. 17-20 that featured 24 teams and 36 games across five ACHA divisions. The Adirondack Winter Invitational returns Nov. 27-28 for its fourth year, with the addition of two women's games between Merrimack College and St. Lawrence University on the docket.

The ECAC Hockey Women's Championship returns March 5-6 after drawing record-setting attendance in its first year in Lake Placid. The ECAC Hockey Men’s Championship follows March 19-20, continuing the Olympic Center's longstanding role as host of the conference championship.

The Olympic Center will also welcome the first-ever Cosmic Hockey game on Dec. 18, combining hockey with immersive lighting, music and interactive entertainment in the historic 1980 Herb Brooks Arena. Cosmic Hockey will hold its preseason training camp at the Olympic Center Oct. 26-Nov. 6.

COMPETITION ACROSS OLYMPIC VENUES

Mt Van Hoevenberg’s Nordic calendar includes Eastern Regional Biathlon Dec. 12-13, the ADK Tour de Ski on Dec. 13, U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour/Eastern Cup and Canadian NorAm cross-country competition Jan. 29-31, the U.S. Biathlon Masters National Championships Feb. 19-21 and the Lake Placid Loppet March 6.

The venue’s sliding track will host the IBSF North American Cup bobsled and skeleton competition Jan. 7-16 and the FIL Omega Youth Series Continental Cup on March 21. The 2026 USA Bobsled and Skeleton Push Championships take place Oct. 5-10 in Mt Van Hoevenberg's Mountain Pass Lodge, the only indoor bobsled and skeleton push start facility in the United States.

At the Olympic Jumping Complex, the Flaming Leaves Festival returns Oct. 10-11 in conjunction with the U.S. National Championships in ski jumping and Nordic combined. Whiteface Mountain will also host Stifel FIS NorAm Cup alpine racing in January and February.

2026-2027 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL & COLLEGIATE EVENTS

WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Finals | Oct. 2-4
Cross-country World Cup mountain bike competition at Mt Van Hoevenberg and downhill racing at Whiteface Mountain culminate the 2026 World Cup season and crown the overall champions.

Stifel FIS NorAm Cup | January-February
Whiteface hosts North America’s premier continental alpine series and some of the continent’s leading emerging athletes.

Lake Placid Freestyle Aerials, an Azerbaijan FIS World Cup | Jan. 16-17
The world’s top aerial skiers return to the Olympic Jumping Complex for individual and mixed-team World Cup competition.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour | Jan. 29-31
The nation’s highest level of domestic cross-country ski racing comes to Mt Van Hoevenberg.

FIS Nordic Combined World Cup | Feb. 4-6
World Cup Nordic Combined returns to the Olympic Jumping Complex and Mt Van Hoevenberg for the first time since 1989. The weekend is also expected to include an experimental and spectator-friendly Nordic combined competition.

Stifel Lake Placid Ski Jumping Cup, a Viessmann FIS World Cup | Feb. 6-7
Men’s and women’s World Cup ski jumping returns to the Olympic Jumping Complex.

FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships | March 2-12
Whiteface will welcome the world’s leading junior alpine racers for the event’s first appearance at the mountain since 1994.

ECAC Hockey Women’s Championship | March 5-6
The championship returns following a record-setting inaugural tournament in Lake Placid.

ECAC Hockey Men’s Championship | March 19-20
Teams return to the Olympic Center to compete for the Whitelaw Cup and an NCAA Tournament berth.

Additional regional and national competitions, training camps, youth championships, collegiate tournaments and community events will be announced throughout the season. The broader calendar also includes the CAN/AM Challenge Cup, Empire State Winter Games and alpine, freestyle and Nordic competition at Gore and Belleayre Mountains.

For event updates, schedules and visitor information, visit LakePlacidLegacySites.com.

No debates scheduled for NY-21 as candidates disagree on timing, hosts; NY-24 to see debate Oct. 20 - NNY 360 (Watertown, NY) Website

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 EST

NO DEBATES SCHEDULED FOR NY-21 AS CANDIDATES DISAGREE ON TIMING, HOSTS; NY-24 TO SEE DEBATE OCT. 20

NNY 360 (Watertown, NY)

9/30/26

Chances are waning that Anthony T. Constantino and Blake Gendebien, the two men vying to be the next Congressmen from New York’s 21st District, will face off in a television debate this year.

For more than a month the candidates have been weighing invitations from a handful of news organizations mostly focused in the Capitol Region and Mohawk Valley. Initially the two had agreed to a debate hosted by News Channel 13, WNYT in Albany on Oct. 8. But after WNYT published the results of a poll they’d commissioned that showed Gendebien, the Democrat, was leading the race, Constantino backed out and demanded the news station refund money that had been fundraised by Gendebien after the poll was shared.

Three other debates had been offered by the Schenectady Daily Gazette newspaper, cable-based Spectrum News and CBS 6, another Albany-area broadcaster.

But on Wednesday, news started to break that Gendebien had declined the Gazette and CBS 6 debates. Constantino has agreed to the CBS 6 and Spectrum invitations.

When asked Wednesday morning, Gendebein’s campaign press spokesperson said the campaign was still weighing invitations. But after Constantino put out a statement calling Gendebein out for rejecting the debate invites, their message changed; less than three hours after confirming they were still reviewing invitations, they were rejecting two of them, arguing the candidate was unable to make it because of schedule issues.

“Blake has a farm to run and a campaign to run, and unlike Anthony, he doesn’t have a personal fortune to write himself checks,” said Michael Waller, campaign manager for Gendebien. “His schedule is packed, and he isn’t free on the dates CBS 6 and the Gazette have offered.”

He did not say what the campaign has decided for the Spectrum debate, leaving that as the last potential meeting for the candidates.

Waller raised concerns over how the Gazette debate would be formatted and if another news organization would be participating in their forum, and he called Constantino out for canceling the only agreed-upon debate with Channel 13.

“He told Channel 13 there would be no debate at all until the station refunded donations over a poll he didn’t like, then called its general manager a coward for good measure,” Waller said. “Now, five weeks out, with this race getting closer and more voters learning who Anthony really is, he says on social media that he wants a debate, with no word on whether that still includes his demands for an arena. Blake’s calendar didn’t sit empty waiting for Anthony to get serious.“

Constantino, for his part, said that Gendebien suggesting his calendar had filled was a sign he wasn’t capable of representing the district in Congress.

“If Blake's excuse for not debating is that he has a farm to run, then he’s admitting he can't represent us in Congress,” he said. “A debate only takes an hour and, by now, Blake should have made arrangements to be free. I also have a large business and have already handed management off to my team so that I can fight for the people.”

It’s not clear how seriously either candidate prepared to debate this year. A source close to Dylan Hewitt, the former progressive candidate who sought to oppose Gendebein in the Democratic primary earlier this year, said that Hewitt had offered to play Constantino in debate prep, but the invitation was never acknowledged.

Constantino has changed his position on debates a few times over his campaign; he originally declined to debate Assemblyman Robert J. Smullen, the man he beat for the Republican nomination, before then agreeing to debate him on CBS 6. Constantino then publicly criticized that station for how they covered the story of Smullen snubbing Constantino’s offer of a handshake at the end of that forum.

To the west, the residents of New York’s 24th District will see a debate between their candidates for Congess. Incumbent Rep. Claudia L. Tenney, R-Cleveland, will face off against her Democratic opponent, Lockport native Alissa Ellman on Oct. 20. That debate will be hosted by WROC in Rochester and be made available on WSYR+, the Syracuse-based ABC station’s livestreaming application, at 7 p.m. Oct. 20.

PROTECT RELEASES ELECTION CANDIDATES’ POSITIONS ON ISSUES AFFECTING ADIRONDACKS - Adirondack Almanck (Saranac Lake, NY) Website

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 EST

PROTECT RELEASES ELECTION CANDIDATES’ POSITIONS ON ISSUES AFFECTING ADIRONDACKS

Adirondack Almanack (Saranac Lake, NY)

9/29/26

Protect the Adirondacks (PROTECT) sent out a non-partisan candidate questionnaire intended to inform voters about where candidates for U.S. Congress (House of Representatives) and the New York Legislature (Senate and Assembly) stand on issues impacting the Adirondack Park.

The questionnaires, with seven questions for federal candidates and 12 questions for state candidates, were sent out in early August to candidates who are running in districts that include areas in or near the Adirondack Park. The candidates’ answers have been published on PROTECT’s website with the candidates’ answers exactly as they were written; the answers have not been summarized, edited or ranked in any way.

The candidates for federal office who responded to the questionnaire include:

Paul D. Tonko running for U.S. House of Representatives District 20 against Ralph Ambrosio
Ralph Ambrosio running for U.S. House of Representatives District 20 against Paul D. Tonko
Blake Gendebien running for U.S. House of Representatives District 21 against Anthony Constantino who did not respond to the questionnaire

The candidates for state office who responded to the questionnaire include:

Melissa Seale running for NY State Senate District 45 against Dan Stec who did not respond to the questionnaire
Cassie Robbins-Forbus running for NY State Senate District 49 against Mark Walczyk who did not respond to the questionnaire
John Gunther running for NY State Assembly District 114 against Matthew Simpson who did not respond to the questionnaire
Dennis Gordon running for NY State Assembly District 117 against Tammie Nabywaniec who did not respond to the questionnaire

The questionnaire asked candidates to state their positions on climate change, several pieces of applicable legislation and issues affecting the Adirondack Park and its residents. The complete set of questions and candidates’ answers are available on our website to educate voters on candidates’ positions.

WHITNEY PARK PRICE DROPPED TO $106.5M - Adirondack Explorer (Saranac Lake, NY) Website

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 EST

WHITNEY PARK PRICE DROPPED TO $106.5M

Adirondack Explorer (Saranac Lake, NY)

9/29/26

The private Whitney Park wilderness and its Adirondack Great Camp structures have been marked down to stimulate a sale.

The trust that is selling the 36,000 plus acres recently dropped the asking price by almost 15% to $106.5 million.

After seeking $125 million for more than a year — and attracting a buyer before the deal fell through — the trustees liquidating the assets of John Hendrickson decided to see if a reduced price would entice bidders.

“There’s interest in the property for sure,” said Daniel A. Collins, the listing agent for Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty. “I can’t comment beyond that.”

What’s at stake

The property is viewed by environmental preservationists and state government leaders as the last large private tract in the Adirondacks that could be added to New York’s forest preserve and saved from development.

For decades, the property has been a high-priority target for acquisition under New York’s open space plan.

But Whitney Park also represents a future windfall for the town of Long Lake because John Hendrickson, who died in 2024, and his late wife Marylou Whitney, befriended the town near their lake-filled retreat. Hendrickson left instructions to his trustees to give the town the net proceeds on the sale of Whitney Park.

The listing describes it as comprising 36,486.7 acres, a slightly smaller total than the 36,600 acres that it has been identified as containing in the past. It comes with lodges and cabins that total 34 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms. The annual property taxes are $351,618.

Its rustic Great Camps include Camp Deerlands, built in 1915 on the eastern shore of Little Forked Lake. It includes a six-stall garage, a caretaker quarters and an A-frame at the lake’s edge with a boathouse, a screened lakeside gazebo and a tennis court.

Nearby is Camp Togus, built in 1949, on Forked Lake. Elsewhere, the property holds guest houses, barns and hunting and fishing cabins that connect to some of the property’s 22 lakes and ponds.

An unsuccessful deal

Marketed as including acreage with the potential for “thoughtful future development,” the sellers seek the “next visionary steward” of the land that has been in the Whitney family for more than 100 years. Edward Hendrickson, trustee to his brother’s estate, thought he had found such a visionary in the summer of 2025 when Shawn Todd, head of Dallas, Texas-based developer Todd Interests, entered a contract to purchase the property at $125 million as soon as it went on the market.

But the deal collapsed in November after Todd attempted to set up the transfer of 32,000 acres for conservation, attempting to sell and lease the land to the state.

Complications arose because Hendrickson’s trustees said he directed them not to allow Whitney Park to be sold to New York. Todd was prohibited from letting the state acquire the property.

Hendrickson had carried a resentment toward the state after Little Tupper Lake’s native trout were eradicated following the state’s acquisition of about 15,000 acres that had been part of Whitney Park in 1997.

Todd had envisioned using 4,000 acres to build a resort with a golf club and lodging in what he called an “environmentally sensitive development” anchored by the two great camps.

Edward Hendrickson said the trustees “continue to work at fulfilling my brother’s wishes which includes not only selling the remarkable property known as Whitney Park but also the contents.”

Priced right?

In recent weeks, items from the Great Camp were sold at auction.Taxes with Hamilton County are paid, according to public records.

“Perhaps the trustees are getting a little more realistic on the value of the land,” said Claudia Braymer, executive director of Protect the Adirondacks, which has been among groups pushing Gov. Kathy Hochul to acquire the property. “The consensus was that $125 million was too much.”

Nicholas Politi, a broker of exclusive Adirondack waterfront real estate, said the property is not overpriced.

“It’s worth every penny,” he said. “If you look at the United States, I don’t know if there’s a place this special.”

The new price arrives after exclusive Adirondack real estate deals were topped with the March sale of the 1,000-acre Great Camp at Lake Kora, in the town of Long Lake’s hamlet of Raquette Lake, for $79.5 million to a limited liability company.